Hinged dashboard.



No. 645,053. PatentedMar. l3, 900. A. H. ALEXANDER &. T. A. REYNOLDS.

HINGED DASHBOARD.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1899.)

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1TB S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED H. ALEXANDER AND THOMAS A. REYNOLDS,

OF \VEST HOBOKEN,

HINGED DASHBOARD;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,053, dated March13, 1906. Application filed November 22, 1899. Serial No. 737,852. (Nomodel.)

To all whom) it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED H. ALEXAN- DER and THOMAS A. REYNOLDS,citizens of the United States, residing at West Hoboken,

in the county of Hudson and State of New:

Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in HingedDashboards; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which'itappertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates to dashboards for 'wheeled vehicles; and theobject of the same is to provide simple and efficient means for hinginga dashboard to the body of the buggy or other vehicle in order that theshafts or tongue may be thrown up into substantially a verticalplanewhen the vehicle is not in use.

It has been the practice in stables and carriage-houses to prop theshafts or tongues of vehicles when not in use by means of a board of therequired length to hold the shafts or tongue at an angle of aboutforty-five degrees from the floor. This practice is injurious to boththe shafts and the dashboard, as the cross-bar which connects the shaftsbears against the dashboard and mars it and the board or prop is liableto scratch and disfigure the shafts. Moreover, the shafts are not heldentirely out of the way by means of the prop and the prop is liable tobe knocked out from under the shafts, letting them drop withconsiderable force to the floor and oftentimes causing considerableinjury to. them. In places where alarge number of carriages are to bestored economy of space is a matter of considerable importance; and withthe rigidlysecured dashboards in present use much floorspace is occupiedby the projecting shafts, since the cross-bar between the shafts comesin contact with the rigid dashboard and the shafts cannot be swungupward far enough to permit another buggy-top under them. In some casesthe shafts are permitted to lie on the floor and other wagons are runover them, often marring them, and then much difficulty is experiencedin getting the wagon out, the

shafts being in the way.

It is the principal object of our invention to provide simple, reliable,and quickly-opbody,

erated means for holding the dashboard firmly in two positions namely,in an upright posi tion when in use and in a backWardly-inclinedposition when it is desired to throw the 5 5 shafts up out of the way tooccupy a space only within the area occupied by the vehicle body andwheels.

We attain the objects and advantages referred to by means of theconstruction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of a buggy having a hinged dashboard and the shaftsthrown back out of the way. Fig. 2 is aside view of our dashboard hingeand catch. 3 is an edge view of the members of our hinge. Fig. 4. isaperspective view of the hinge memhers.

Like numerals of reference designate likeparts in the different views.

Fig.

The numeral 1 designates a dashboard of usual construction, and 2 is ahinge constructed in accordance with our invention and attached to thedashboard and to the buggyas will be described. This hinge consists ofthe two members 3 and 4. The mem her 3 has a shank 5, provided withbolt-holes 6 for the bolt for attaching it to the vehiclebody. At theupper end of this member spaced lugs 7 7 are formed, and said lugs areprovided with alined apertures 8 8, which serve as bearings for a pintle9. The member lot the hinge consists of a casting having a boss orenlargement '10, provided with an aperture 11 for the pintle'9, saidboss being of a size to fit between the spaced lugs 7 7,

and the pintle 9 is passed through the apertures in the boss and lugsand may be secured in place by a nut 12. Projectingoutward from the boss10 is a toe 13, which serves as a stop to limit thepivotal movement ofthe members 3 and 4. and also as an abutment for a spring-catch 14.,secured to the shank. 5 by the bolt 15. The boss and toe are formed onthe outer end of a plate 16, which conforms 5 in width to the shank 5and has shoulders 17 at the sides of said boss. At the opposite end ofthe plate 16 an ear or flange 18 extends at right angles to said plateand a bolt-hole 19 is formed in said car. A bolt 20 passes through thedashboard and through the hole 19, and a nut 21 fits the threaded end ofthe bolt for clamping the dashboard firmly to the ear 18.

The spring-catch 14: consists of a suitable piece of spring metalsecured to the shank 5, as previously described, and provided at itsupper end with a wedge-shaped metal piece 22 and a knob or handle 23.

It will be noticed that the bottom wall or surface 24, between the lugs7 7, serves as a stop for the toe 13 when the hinge is operated in onedirection, and the metal piece 22 performs a like office when the hingeis swung in the reverse direction.

Two hinges are usually employed, one at each end of the dash, upon theinside of the vehicle, as shown.

The device is operated as follows: When the dash is to be held inavertical or upright position for use, as shown in Fig. 2, the toe 13rests upon the upper end of the piece 22 and is firmly held in thisposition by the spring-catch 14-. hen the vehicle is to be placed in thestable, the knob or handle 23 is grasped and pulled outward until thepiece 22 clears the toe 13, and the dash is then thrown backward. Theknob or handle is then released and the spring presses the piece 22against the opposite side of the toe 13 and holds the dash in theinclined position. (Shown in Fig. 1.) The shafts 25 are then thrownupward in a vertical or nearly-vertical position and entirely out of theway, as shown in Fig. 1. When the vehicle is to be used again, theshafts are brought down and the dash is straightened up, the piece 22then riding over the toe 13 and snapping under it when the dash is invertical position.

It will be understood, of course, that for some classes ofvel1icles--sucl1 as surreys,

phaetons, rookaways, &c.--the hinge will require slight modification toconform to the construction of the dash and the vehiclebody. Suchalterations fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention,and we do not wish to be understood as being limited to the preciseconstruction disclosed.

Having fully described our invention,what we claim is-- 1. A hinge fordashboards consisting of two members, one of which is attached to thevehicle-body and the other to the dash, aprojecting toe on one memberand a springcatch on the other member, designed to bear at oppositepoints on the toe for holding the dash in two positions and a knob orhandle on the spring for operating it, substantially as described.

2. A dashboard-hinge consisting of a plate or shank secured to thevehicle-body and having at its upper end spaced lugs, and forming onemember of the hinge, the other member consisting of a plate having anear secured to the dash, and at the opposite end a boss, a pintlepassing through perforations in the lugs and boss, a toe projecting fromthe boss, and a spring-catch having a knob for operating it, said springhaving a metal piece at its upper end designed to bear at oppositepoints on the toe for holding the dash in two positions, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ALFRED H. ALEXANDER. THOMAS A. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

H. M. JOHNSON, ELEONORA S. Horn.

